Episode 114
Werewolf Burrito * We convene after a long rest. Things are tense between the party after Lucius' actions. Godfrey makes everyone coffee. Hypatia spends a few hours teaching Lucius how to set up her observation station thing. We collect the scrolls we asked for from Hypatia, shield, heroes feast, and "scroll of outrunning the fires you've caused" (haste +protection from energy combine). * We head off toward the Court of Stars -- OH GOD IT'S HAPPENING. It takes us about 5 hours to walk to the barrier. We find a massive set of cliffs with a rough staircase hewn into the wall. We fly to the top rather than try and climb it. There's no sign of life other than us. There is a multicolored opaque forcefield between us and progressing further. Lucius pulls out the coin he received from Dagon and a circular portal forms in the force-field. * We emerge into a eerily silent woodland, with a vast overly starry sky overhead. With many lakes that reflect the sky. There a campfire in the hills, and a castle in the far distance, past which we can see Bahamut's body dangling from the ceiling. A bright full moon hangs over all of this - then Deacon starts shrieking in pain and hits the ground. He transforms into a werewolf and Vahlka grabs him wrestles him to the ground before he can run off. She tries to calm him but it does not work. Barkley also tries, but Deacon snaps at her - Vahlka interferes and he catches nothing but air. We discuss multiple options of trying to keep Deek placated while Vahlka holds him down - finally settling on polymorphing him into a turtle and sticking him in Vahlka's backpack. * We decide to approach the campfire we saw. We see a woman in armor, Crimson and an undead dragon perched above her, who do not seem to see us. Vahlka drops off her weapons and her turtle boyfriend with Olly, then moves up to speak with Sara. * Sara greets Vahlka with irreverence, complimenting the armor that Vahlka stole from her after killing them the last time. Vahlka replies "someone has good taste." Vahlka says "I wanted to talk to you, one oathbreaker to another." They bitch about their respective swords a moment. * Sara says she knows we're here to free Bahamut. Vahlka asks why she is here. Sara replies that its kinda the same thing - she is here to cause trouble for the convergence. When Vahlka asks why, she says Orcus "doesn't fancy this party". Though she also says she figures we'll cause enough ruckus she doesn't have to do much. Sara claims the convergence is actually about trading dragon gods with the hells - imprisoning Tiamat here in the abyss and transfering Bahamut to the hells. * Vahlka asks Sara why she wants to kill the god. Sara tries to deflect the question, but Vahlka bluntly insists and she says "Gods ain't never done nothing right by me.I'm taking what I am owed, I guess." Vahlka asks what she's owed, and she says "Vengeance, retribution." Vahlka says Deacon told her some of the story, but insists on knowing her side since she knows Deacon can idolize people. * Sara tells her she was sold to the Raven Queen church when she was very young, and that Deacon didn't know it. The sect bought her off of some bandits. She starts to tell her about how she was paired with Deacon then breaks off to tell Vahlka she knows that Vahlka is trying to kill her. She turn the questioning back on Vahlka and asks why Vahlka is serving the Raven Queen. Vahlka claims it felt right - and that she has a vampire she must deal with and a respect for the sancity of death, peace, and winter. Sara says that the Raven Queen could have gotten anyone to take care of the vampire it the last 5000 years, Vahlka retorts that that isn't her fault. She's doing what she can now. * Sara taunts "You think you can trust this thing to help you? That it's got your best interests at heart?" Vahlka says "I don't expect death to have my best interests at heart, her schemes are bigger than me." Sara begins rambling about the cycle, then informs Vahlka that people die off after enough times through the cycle -- spiritual entropy. Vahlka is not troubled by this. Sara says she doesn't like the idea of "going around and around on a wheel until the world is done with her." She claims she tried to save her brother, brought him back to the temple, they killed him, and told her she couldn't be one of them anymore. * Vahlka tells her that the Raven Queen's followers don't really represent her. She tells her about how Lucius was confronted directly by her and got little more than a slap on the wrist for his intention to practice necromancy. She asks if Vahlka's friends want to stop skulking in the shadows, Vahlka flippantly says "They like it back there - less spooky dragons looming over them." * Vahlka asks Sara if she knows anyway to turn Deacon back from his half-elf form. Sara laughs at her, and says she has no idea. "You're askin' his ex how to deal with him? That's hilarious. No I've got no idea, what we did was get really into leather." Vahlka just goes "Gods... not the worst solution." She turns to the other and tells them they can come out if they'd like. * Sara asks how they are planning to free Bahamut. Lucius tells her our plan was basically to set everything on fire. Sara informs us that there is a strand from the castle, the Seat of the Three, to the dragon. Lucius tells her that he's sold his soul to a demon, Vahlka barks at Lucius to shut up. Sara finds this hilarious. Olivia asks if when we walk across the web if it'll alert Lolth, she says yes - and suggests we do it during the convergence to buy ourselves some time. * When she offers Lucius a drink he declines, saying it will kill him because he's a half-dragon. Olivia uses this to ask Sara how her half-dragon is doing. Sara laughs and says "Cyressa is a bitch, as usual." She jokes that she'd like to have Lucius' skeleton. * Vahlka barks at Lucius to shut up and sit down. Sara laughs and says "I can see why Deacon likes you." Godfrey speaks up and offers her a piece of candy. He asks her what the endgame is here. Sara says there's a lot of different players with different endgames. Vahlka demands to know what specifically her endgame is. Sara says she'll kill the Raven Queen, then she'll die, then Orcus will have her divinity. She also says that Nerull was his father, and that they'll both get their vengeance this way. * Lucius asks Sara why Dagon was not invited. She says that Dagon is allied with Demogorgon, and thus not welcome in Lolth's domain. Dagon wants to know what the other demons are up to. Lucius asks if she knows what Dagon's endgame is. She says she doesn't know. * Vahlka asks what makes Sara think Orcus will not betray her. She says she knows he probably will, and that her options are die or continue doing as she is doing. They snipe at one another about their respective lifespans. Sara insists that she can enjoy what she needs from life. She gets to socialize, she serves a purpose. Her undeath is interesting. * Olivia begins to ask a question, but in the middle of it Sara interrupts her and tells her that her soul will be destroyed if she dies again. She will not get another turn on the wheel. * Vahlka says "You feel guilty about something, or you wouldn't be here." Sara deflects and refuses to answer, saying that she asks a lot of personal questions. Vahlka tries to placate her by answering questions she asks. Sara asks if she has any siblings, Vahlka tells her she's the eldest of four. Sara asks if any of them are dead, and says she's lucky when Vahl tells her no. Vahlka noncommittally mutters, "Am I?" Sara ends this thread of conversation by asking Olivia about Theo. * Sara says she didn't know her parents - as far as she knows, they were just folks who were down on their money. Godfrey asks her what Lolth's endgame is. Sara says Lolth wants to kill Tiamat. Says that gods are stronger when they are not in planes of their own alignment. The Hells just want to be rid of Tiamat - because Zariel wants her out of her domain. She says they are deciding what to do about the offer during the convergence. *Vahlka asks Sara what she was doing at Bahamut's mansion - she says she was looking for the same thing they were, The Staff of Celestial Devourers. Lucius asks why, Sara says Noir wants it. Olivia asks about Tanith. Sara says Tanith is not going to actually be here, she's sending a representative to try and stay out of the line of fire when Bahamut breaks free. *Lucius asks if Sara will help them set Bahamut free, but she declines. Lucius, Olivia, and Godfrey all attempt to convince her but fail. Vahlka says Bahamut is a big believer that you can be more than what you are on the outside. Vahlka repeats the question of "What do you feel so guilty about?" Sara snaps at her that she doesn't need to tell her that. Olivia refreshes her attempt to get Sara to come with us. Sara refuses. Vahlka tells them to give up on this. *Olivia asks about Lena. Sara says she's creepy, and a cleric of Tiamat. The only actual loyal member of the group. Sara suggests that Crow is the one who is in charge of all the wyrmspeakers. Vahlka asks about the war, and Sara suggests that Thunder Bay was taken back from the Yuan-ti and that losing their foothold on the mainland has made their battle harder. *Sara tells us that the Court of Stars knows things about you and when you get closer to the center its going to start turning on the defenses. The closer you get to the center the more it wants you to leave, so its going to turn everything it knows about you on you to get you to leave. She refuses to help us again when asked, then laughs and says "You're not going to redeem me by sitting down and having one conversation with me - if that's what you were hoping to do." Olivia says she was just wanting some extra firepower, Sara offers Clunky, her undead dragon. Everyone but Lucius refuses - he is very overruled. *Olivia asks what she meant by Tanith and Orcus not actually being here. Sara says they've sent representatives shapeshifted to look like them. Vahlka asks about Obscura, Sara says she's "Thick as Thieves" with Lolth and that Lolth wouldn't get anything done without her.That "The fox is always behind it all, isn't she?" She says there's worse things out there, and provides Mysa'aor as an example. Olivia asks whats so bad about him. Sara says he's suspicious due to all the strange magic, and gives her a bad feeling in her gut. *Sara says Theo said that the Arsonists are the same as they, the Wyrmspeaker. Vahlka asks why she thinks they are similar. Sara says they had the same sort of trouble. Sara turns the topic to Lena, Vahlka chuckles that Barkley certainly isn't prissy like her. Vahlka says Barkley might have a pocket full of worms right now, Sara asks if she does, Barkley turns her pockets inside out and they are full of pebbles and dirt. *Vahlka asks what Tanith's interest in Theo is. Sara says its because he's royal bloodline - its a tool. Olivia stone-faced says; "Theo is definitely a tool." *We bid Sara goodbye, and proceed onward. *Deacon's polymorph is about to lapse and we discuss what to do about it. Vahlka says polymorphing him is unreliable and going to waste a lot of spells. Barkley says "Well it's either waste the spells or 'get really into leather'". Vahlka suggests using the staff to turn him into a raven, so that he has his mind back, but it turns out it is attunement. Vahlka pulls the turtle out and holds it down against the ground - getting ready, Deacon soon turns back into a raging, terrified werewolf. She successfully wrestles him down and we discuss what to do about it. Vahlka jokes "As far as drow women go I'm in surprisingly short supply of bondage gear. Not actually my cup of tea." Her and Godfrey are terrible back and forth a bit. Lucius groans. *Vahlka tries to walk Deek by the rope around his neck but he claws the shit out of her with a crit. She then makes an ill-advised attempt to jump on his back and ride Deek like a horse. He throws her off and tries to run for it. Lucius moonbeams him and shifts him back - Vahlka runs right into the moonbeam and wrestles him down. Apologizing over and over again. *Olivia and Vahlka work together to tie him up. We wrap a bunch of blankets around his body and burrito him up. Deacon gives hell to everybody but Vahlka, who is strong enough to keep his head down. We load him onto the Flying Carpet. He's finally transportable. We travel onward until the moon sets. *Barkley hears whispering voices on the wind. Barkley tells the party that the voices think shes cute but mostly thinks they are weird. Vahlka tells her to ask the wind if it thinks she's cute. They don't. *We approach the three large hills and it grows cold. Still no sign of life. We find a sort of hollow between the hills that is somewhat sheltered. Barkley asks the wind to wake her up if something big comes near, it tells her it probably won't. Lucius sets up the Tiny Hut. *Deacon shifts back, Vahlka asks how he's doing. He gruffly says bad, Vahlka unties him and hands his things backs to him. He apologizes and says he'll talk about it tomorrow. He pulls out his medicine kit, pulls out something and says "I'm gonna pass out, like, now." He's out like a light. Vahlka fishes around in his medicine kit to find what he took and finds the sedative he took and makes a note of it. *We talk about the werewolf problem a bit. Godfrey bitches about Deacon keeping secrets, but Barkley says he's the last one to complain about that. Vahlka assures them they can discuss it in the morning. *Barkley and Vahlka take the first walk. Barkley spots something ripple in the lake. She sneaks off to investigate. When she comes back she says she saw Juiblex and we ought to sit tight and be careful. Barkley also asks Vahlka if she can have her daggers, Vahlka lets her have them, but is confused. *Vahlka warns Olly that Barkley spotted Juiblex. They talk briefly about the prospect of trying to scry on Theo, but the swords are out of charges so they do not. When their watches are over they rudely wake up the boys and go to sleep, notably not warning them about Juiblex. Vahlka pulls Deek's head into her lap to comfort herself even though he's dead to the world. *Lucius and Godfrey spot Juiblex approaching and start waking up the rest of the party. Godfrey assures Lucius he's thankful that Lucius took Dagon's deal to save their lives. Vahlka scoops up an unconscious Deacon and is ready to cart him off, but Juiblex comes before we have a chance to move. Everyone but Barkley gets a look at him, and both elfy girls fail their wisdom saves against abyssal madness. SLIME TIME. *Barkley and Olivia begin arguing loudly and wrestling over the bag of holding. They won't shut up so Vahlka wakes up Deacon by removing the sedative from his system with lay on hands and then asking him to Greater Restoration them; he doesn't have the component though. She apologizes. *Godfrey shuts the group up by lighting his Candle of Silence. They argue until Barkley falls asleep clinging to Olivia's leg.